Man Lift Rental for Electricians: A Comprehensive Guide
Working at heights is no joke and electricians need to do it all the time. While some use cases still exist for ladders and scaffolding, construction lifts like scissor lifts and boom lifts are much safer and more efficient. Having to work at a wide range of heights depending on the job, man lifts will make accessing those hard-to-reach spots much better.
There are many types of man lifts including electric and rough terrain scissor lifts, electric and rough terrain articulating boom lifts, straight boom lifts, and towable boom lifts. Which one you choose will depend on many factors including whether you're doing aerial work inside or outdoors, the height required, and the terrain.
No matter the job, you can rent aerial work platforms like scissor lifts and boom lifts on the DOZR Marketplace. You can either call our DOZR sales representatives or rent online.
Why Electricians Need Man Lifts
Not every project will require a man lift, but many do. And as safety, efficiency, and productivity became more important for improving the bottom line, using some sort of construction lift should be a priority. Here are some common jobs that require the use of man lifts.
Installation Work
Whether it's wiring, lighting, conduits, breakers, or anything else, sometimes these need to be installed at various heights, angles, and environments. Electric scissor lifts can help you keep steady on indoor projects while rough terrain scissor lifts can operate in outdoor environments.
If you need to access heights over 50', as may be common in stadiums and conference halls, electric articulating boom lifts or straight boom lifts can help you with indoor installations. There are also rough terrain models of these aerial lifts.
Maintenance and Repair Tasks
Man lifts also help electricians with routine maintenance and repair tasks. It's common for electricians to have to do regular maintenance in warehouses, factories, power lines, and other locations. Having access to a wide variety of different options to help facilitate those routine checks are crucial to getting them down quicker.
Access to Difficult Areas
Lastly, as any electrician knows, sometimes you have to access difficult areas like bridges or overhangs. While sometimes this might require you to use a ladder because of the size of the space, sometimes those difficult areas would be impossible to reach on the stability (or lack thereof) of a ladder. Man lifts like scissor lifts and boom lifts can help you hold your tools and keep both your hands free, allowing you to reach those hard-to-reach areas with more comfort.
Key Features of Man Lifts Beneficial for Electricians
We've already commented on some of the main benefits and features of why electricians should be using man lifts on their projects, but here's a more nuanced list.
Height and Reach
Depending on the type of machine you choose and the job requirements, man lifts allow electricians to work up to 210' vertically and 80' horizontally. If you're needing to work at those extreme heights, either an articulating boom lift or a straight boom lift will be a better choice. Those man lifts allow for both vertical and horizontal reach while scissor lifts have a smaller height range, typically only up to 64', and can't extend horizontally.
Platform Space and Capacity
The downside of ladders and scaffolding, besides their lack of stability in some situations, is the limited space and weight capacity they provide. If you're doing a job that requires a lot of weight and space to move, scissor lifts will be your best option. Scissor lifts can lift up to 2,500 lbs on some models and platforms of that size usually have enough space for four people. This gives you more than enough space to carry all of your tools and supplies.
Telescopic and articulating boom lifts have more vertical and horizontal reach but limited platform space and capacity. Often, these boom lifts are recommended to carry a maximum of 1,000 lbs and this depends on the working range of the machine. This typically means only one or two laborers and a few materials will fit on the platform.
Related: Check out our scissor lift spec guide, articulating boom lift spec guide, straight boom lift spec guide, and towable boom lift spec guide for all platform space and capacity information.
Either way, these aerial lifts will make the job of electricians more efficient. Not only because they'll be able to lift more tools and supplies than on a scaffold and ladder, but also because they'll be more sturdy and their hands will be free to get the job done.
Maneuverability
The last key feature to look for when it comes to man lifts is maneuverability. As mentioned above, electricians need the ability to reach over obstacles, work in tight spaces, and operate on unfinished terrain.
Sometimes this might require using a vertical, mobile elevated work platform that is extremely thin and narrow like the Skyjack SJ12 E or something similar. Other times, this might require using a boom lift or scissor lift that has dimensions that can fit through finished doorways. It can also mean getting a rough terrain scissor lift or boom life that can operate on muddy or rocky terrain. Or, it could mean using a towable boom lift that you can transport from job to job with just a truck or SUV.
The level of maneuverability you're looking for will depend on the environment and necessities of each job. Fortunately, between all the types of aerial lifts, you should be able to find one that fits your needs.
Selecting the Right Man Lift for Electrical Work
Now that we've covered why electricians need to use man lifts and what the features are, it's important to pick the right one. This will have a direct impact on the efficiency of your job.
Assessing Work Requirements
The first step to determining which construction lift to rent is to access the job site. Here is a list of all the information you should collect:
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Whether the job is indoors or outside
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The terrain of the job
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The height requirements
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Whether you'll need horizontal reach
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The dimensions of the area
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How many people you'll need for the job
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The weight of the materials you need to lift
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If there are any obstacles in the area
Knowing all of this information will help you pick the best man lift for the job. If the job is indoors, you'll need an electric model. The terrain will help you pick between a rough terrain or a 4x4 capable model. Height and horizontal reach will let you know if you need a scissor lift or a boom lift.
Dimensions of the space will inform the size of the model you can use. The number of people and the weight of the materials will narrow down the lift capacity and platform size of the machine. And if there are any obstacles, you may need an articulating lift to be able to adapt to the environment.
Collecting this information will help you make the optimal choice of machine.
Comparing Rental Options
Now that you know the type of machine you need, it's time to compare your man lift rental options. An easy way to do this is by searching for man lifts on DOZR to compare daily, weekly, and monthly rental prices.
DOZR has equipment listings from hundreds of aerial lift rental companies that you can compare to find the best location and price for you. You can rent from all of these equipment rental companies with only one credit account.
Looking for your next man lift? Explore scissor lift, articulating boom lift, straight boom lift, and towable boom lift rental options on DOZR.
